Display device



Feb. 5, I929. 1,701,236

H. w. JONES DISPLAY DEVICE Filed-Feb. 25, 1925 ill Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

- HOMER W. JONES, OF JACKSON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL CAR- IBON COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

Applicationfiled February 25,1925. Serial No. 11,573.

The present invention relates to display devices, and has for an object the provision of means for supporting flexible posters and like articles for display which will make possible the assembling of the mounting meansand the posters in a compact package for transportation.

A further object of the present invention consists in the provision of improved means for maintaining flexible posters in a tightlystretched or taut position.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of improved means for adjusting the length of the supporting means so as to compensate for shrinkage or expansion of the material of which the poster is made.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of an element. which functions not only as a support or prop adapted to maintain the poster in a vertical or inclined position for display, but also as a thrust member which in cooperation with another thrust member tends to maintain the poster tightly stretched.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description Proceeds.

According to the present invention a member adapted to serve as a support or prop for holding a flexible poster upright at a small angle to' the vertical is arranged to swing about a pivot on one of the two edge pieces to which the poster is attached. A resilient member is arranged to swing about a pivot on the other edge piece in a plane approximately perpendicular to that in which the first member swings.

The first swinging. member is provided with a socket adapted, when both swinging members are swung'into an appropriate position and the resilient swinging member is flexed, to recelve an over-turned-end of the second or resilient swinging member. The tenslon of the over-"turned end of the resilient I member holds it in the socket and stretches ferred form of the device with the poster stretched to display position.

Fig 2 is a similar view of a modification 1n WhlCh the support or prop is made of two bars or strips joined together by means pernnttmg of a telescoping or sliding movementbetween them. 1

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views showing still another modification wherein both the upright support and a horizontal member connecting the bar attached to the lower edge of the poster and the support are made of resilient material and are assembled in such manner that their natural tension is used to 'maintain the poster taut.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the device shown in Fig. 1. I

The poster 10 comprises a sheet of flexible material'such as cloth or paper on one side of which advertising or similar matter is printed or otherwise displayed." Parallel rigid edge members or strips 11, which may be made of wood, are attached to the rear side of the opposite ends of the sheet. Pivoted at points adjacent the respective ends of the upper edge member 11 are members 12,

which act both as supports or props to hold the .poster in upright display position and also as thrust pieces cooperating with the other elements of the support to maintain the poster in a tightly-stretched position. These members are preferably made of wood although resilient material such as heavy wlre, as shown in Figs.3 and 4, may be used. They are connected at their lower ends to the lower edge member 11 'by means of resilient thrust members 13. The resilient members 13 are arranged to swing about pivots on the lower edge member 11 in a plane substantially perpendicular to that in which the members 12 swing. The members 12 are each provided with a socket 14 adapted to receive the downturned end of the cooperating member 13.

- The end of the member 13 is bent at such an heldin a state of tension and willexerta thrust tending to stretch the poster taut.

-In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the upright support member 12 is made in two parts joined together by a clip, or other suit? able connecting means 15, which permits of adjustment oft-he two parts relative to one another and is'provided with means for retaining the said parts fixed in any desired position. This modification makes it possible to adjust the length of the members 12 to compensate for expansion or shrinka e of the material of which the poster is ma e. Another advantage of the use of this modification is that it permits of the assembling of the display poster and its supports into a shorter package under some circumstances. For example, with a poster of greater height than width, if the members 12 were made in one piece, they would extend beyond the ends of the package. However, by making them in two pieces, adapted to telescope or slide one upon the other, the length of the shipping package can be restricted to the width of the poster, providing, of course, it is not of less width than substantially one half its length. In the modification shown in Figs. 3, 4

and 6 the member 12 is made of stifi wire or I steel rod of suflicient resiliency to permit of imparting to it a suitable camber so that when it is connected with the member 13 it will exert a thrust of its own, in addition to that of the member 13, and thus aid in keeping the poster taut. 7

While in the above description it has been stated that the upright members 12 and cooperating members 13 are used at each side of the poster, it is to be understood that the invention also covers the use of one pair of such supporting members connected to the poster at the middle part of the top and bottom edge pieces 11, respectively.

When the poster is to be transported the resilient member 13 is disengaged from the socket 14. His then turned on its pivot until it lies against the lower edge member -11. The upright member 12 is turned on its pivot until it lies against the upper edge member 11. The poster may then be rolled or folded into a package of compact form and shipped in a mailing tube or the like.

When the poster is to be displayed the member 12 is turned on its pivot untilit is at right angles to the upper edge member 11. The resilient member 13 is likewise turned on its pivot until it is at-.right angles to the lower member 11. The down turned end of the member 13 is then forced into the socket on the lower end of the member 12. The member 13, due to the tension imposed uponit, will exert a thrust tending to widen the angle between it and the member 12 and thus bring the poster to a tightly-stretched position.

What I claim is:

1. The combinationwith a flexible poster, of edge members attached to opposite edges of the poster, a swinging member pivoted at of edge members attached to opposite edgesof the poster, and means cooperating with said members to maintain the poster tightlystretched and in an upright display position, said means consisting of a member pivoted to the upper edge member and adapted to normally assume a substantially vertical position, and a resilient member pivoted to the lower edge member and adapted to normally assume a substantially horizontal position,

said members being connected near their free ends at a fixed angle in such manner that they are under constant tension and their pivoted ends tend to move apart.

3. In combination with a flexible poster having top and bottom edgemembers, collapsible supporting means consisting of two thrust members, at least one of which isresilient, connected, respectively, at one end to said edge members and at their opposite ends so connected to each other at a fixed angle that they interact mutually to produce 5 an outward thrust on the oster through the edge members, one of said thrust members being of suflicient length to act as a prop or support so as to maintain the poster in an upright position.

4. A eollapsible'support for posters and the like, comprising edge pieces attached along opposite edges of the poster, an extensible combined 7 thrust ieee and prop pivotally connected to one 0 said edge pieces and comprising two members slidably connected together,said combined thrust piece and prop being adapted to fold against the edge piece to which it ispivoted, and a second thrust piece pivoted to the other edge piece at one end and at the other end connected at a fixed angle to the lower end of the extensible thrust piece and prop.

5. A collapsible support for posters and the like comprising edge members secured to opposite edges of said poster, :1 combined and at its opposite end connected at a fixed angle to the first-mentioned thrust piece adjacent the free end of the latter and at an angle thereto, one at least of said thrust pieces being made of resilient material, and adapted through its connection with the other thrust piece to produce a tensioning or tautening action on opposite edges of the poster.

6. In combination with a flexible poster, rigid edge members, a telescoping support connected at one end to one of said edge members, a flexible thrust member detachably connected at a fixed angle to the opposite In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

HOMER W. JONES. 

